We are one, We are many, We are Just Call Me Frank.
Candid, adjudicating, philosophy wielding, life journaling, mental health advocating, writing and art therapy enthusiasts, lovers of learning; adventurers with a finger on all the buttons.
Writing to survive and thrive.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Censorship (In Books): Homework Highlight #3

Again from our Communications class, when asked in Discussion and Critical Thinking what "I" think about censorship and what books, if any, would I censor if I was a librarian. (This assignment weeks topic was books.)

The professor of this class requires multimedia in the posts for class. These assignments are submitted through a program called Blackboard, a virtual learning environment and management system used to work in conjunction with classroom lectures. (It's a poorly scripted program, to be honest - but a lot of the Universities use it)So, this was our critical thinking response on the topic of censorship

Whether or not any censorship is permissible in any instance is a difficult call.As a society, should we allow targeted hateful rhetoric.It doesn’t seem like a moral move to allow something of such negative value. It would be nice to live in a society of mature adults where that wasn’t even an issue; but utopia will never exist.

Censorship spans every type of mass media format not just written word, and not just hateful implications; if anything one might dare say censorship of targeted hateful rhetorical is least likely to be censored in lieu of revolutionary or controversial ideas that challenge religiously based morals or beliefs. In books, the danger of censorship is ten-fold, because books contain knowledge and information that a sole reader is responsible for understandings and gaining meaning from, which is unlike any other medium in mass media. (i.e. nobody is telling you what it means and you are challenged to figure it out on your own)

Certainly, there is room within individual homes and lives to allow for personal censorship, but censorship of controversial topics imposed on a society as a whole is abhorrent.

When it comes to books, like with any other media source, it should be up to the individual to decide what they should or should not read. If they are uncomfortable with the content they can put it down, but they don’t have to be dictators for what other people might be perfectly comfortable reading. Perhaps parents and members of society can use their fear (because that’s what it is) as an opportunity; reading subversive and controversial texts can create a platform for mature discussion, not only between parents and children, but between any groups of people.

[Censorship And Media Opoly]

Certainly religious organizations, government, or corporate entities, in a free democratic society, do not have a place in telling people what they can and can’t read; of course that doesn’t stop them from trying. Censorship by any group of people, that further promotes their self-interests, without allowing opportunity to form objective views, is repressive and is a violation of freedom.

What books are worthy of censorship? Unless it is purely a platform to spread ignorant hatred, based on nothing but the characteristics of another persons being, or in the event they contain misleading or incorrect information, there is no time to take books from my library shelves. Books are a foundation to personal freedom, and to me, the freedom to learn is the doorway to becoming a well-developed human.

Having said that, perhaps it is a little hypocritical to think that the topic of hate is where the line should drawn, so, all the books stay. I just won’t read those (but the ones full of misinformation go).

It's only a 100 level course.The professor has "praised" us for our level of work and "excellent analysis" - but having nearly 15 years (mostly) on almost the entire class...of course our writing shines.Even cow shit sticks out in a field of rabbit turds.